Can the Los Cerritos Wetlands survive The Los

Can the Los Cerritos Wetlands survive The Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration and Oil Consolidation Project? A presentation by Protect the Long Beach/Los Cerritos Wetlands

At one time 2400 acres of lagoons, bays, tidal salt marshes and alkali meadows formed a coastal wetlands fed by rivers and seasonal rains.

These vast wetlands sustained the Tongva coastal communities of Puvungna and Motuucheyngna

The Puvungna/Los Cerritos Wetlands are sacred to the Tongva and Acjachemen. Tribal leaders have stated their concerns that the oil drilling project and proposed “restoration” will put local residents at risk, destroy the existing wetlands, erase tribal history, and harm future generations. Respect should be given those indigenous nations who still carry on their ceremonies; still following the ancient laws of nature. Lillian Robles, Acjachemen Elder

This 1921 photo, taken before the San Gabriel River was channelized, shows the river crossing a unified Bolsa Chica and Los Cerritos Wetlands and entering the Pacific Ocean through

Today the Los Cerritos Wetlands have been reduced to 500 acres of open space managed by the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority. While the area has been degraded by industrial use, it still has both fresh and salt water marshes and wetlands habitat supporting local wildlife and migratory

So what exactly is The Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration and Oil Consolidation Project? Beach Oils Minerals Partners and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority claim that their oil drilling project will restore the degraded Los Cerritos Wetlands by relocating oil operations and removing old drilling rigs, pipes, and storage tanks.

The Project area consists of four sites within, or adjacent to, the Los Cerritos Wetlands which are bisected by the Newport-Inglewood

Beach Oil Minerals and the LCWA used pretty pictures and promises to sell oil extraction as wetlands restoration Mother Nature needs our help, and yours. At the core of the Project is a passionate commitment to the environment. This rare opportunity makes what’s previously been impossible— possible: to restore the wetlands with proper planning and a commitment to restoration funding. Beach Oil Minerals

What is BOM actually going to do and what are the risks? California Coastal Commission staff originally stated that calling this project “wetlands restoration” and “oil consolidation” was “misleading” to the public; further commenting that “the expansion of oil extraction and processing operations at the Synergy Oil Field” is the actual goal. ”

“Restoration” projects are often the “feel good” means by which developers win permission to do other environmental damage Restoring trashed ecosystems is embraced by all, many projects are great for business, but not for the environment. And it is big business: $70 billion for wetlands restoration projects in North American in the past 20 years. “ Public agencies maintain close relationships with developers while failing to consult with all affected tribal groups as required by law, resulting in a pattern of environmental racism. Developers continue to ignore California Indians, “mitigating” the destruction of sacred sites by removing and storing “artifacts” for research by archaeologists. The Los Cerritos Wetlands will not be restored by replaced. Flooding, bulldozing, and constructing high berms, will destroy existing homes and food sources of wetlands wildlife. A visitor’s center and walking and biking trails will enlarge the human footprint at the expense of the environment. .

Is Oil Consolidation actually Expansion? Beach Oil Minerals retains the mineral rights to all project sites and will build: A 2, 200 ft. pipeline crossing the earthquake fault on the city-owned wetland A 160 ft. high drilling rig and a 120 ft. high workover rig Six well cellars with 120 new oil, water injection and water source wells 28, 000 -barrel and 3, 000 barrel oil tanks, a 2, 000 -barrel “skim oil” tank, a 5, 000 -barrel water tank, and two 14, 000 -barrel multi-use tanks A 25 ft. high ground flare for methane gas An elevated pipe rack An energy system microgrid A warehouse and office building

Water Injection, Enhanced and Directional Drilling Modern? yes - Safe? NO The shale oil and gas boom has brought the oil industry roaring back to life. In the Los Angeles basin companies are now extracting oil using “enhanced” drilling techniques such as acidizing, hydraulic fracturing, and “directional drilling, ” going down vertically thousands of feet below the surface and then horizontally for miles. So what is Beach OIl Minerals Partners “modern” drilling • • • New “directional” drilling extending under the wetlands and surrounding local areas proposal? “Enhanced” drilling methods using the same toxic chemicals as fracking Billions of gallons of water injected under pressure to remove & replace oil Wasting and polluting water in California during the worst drought in l 200 years Extraction of 200 million barrels of oil, increasing global warming & sea rise

dd Not if, but when. Oil spills and earthquakes will happen, losses cannot be prevented. The fossil fuel industry continues to exploit vulnerable communities, leaving a trail of environmental disaster in its wake. We are considered disposable, just another tax write off!

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THIS PROJECT TO NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES? Marina Pacifica, Naples, Belmont Shore, Bixby Village, Alamitos Heights, Seal Beach, Island Village, Leisure World, and other neighborhoods could face: - Oil extraction and release of wastewater under homes and businesses - Toxic fumes from oil operations impacting air quality - Pollution of groundwater and soil by additives used in drilling process - Earthquakes on the fault line triggered by drilling operations - Accidents and pipeline leaks that release oil and toxins - Contamination of wetlands, waterways and ocean beaches - Poor health, lower property values, and loss of revenue from tourism -

“The process is geared to getting to yes. We look at what’s being proposed by the applicant, and we do our best to make the applicant’s project feasible. ” Do we accept the status quo and wait for help when disaster strikes? Or act now to protect ourselves, our homes and our heritage?

BY TAKING ACTION YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! #1 Support Puvunga Wetlands Protectors’ Lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission #2 Contact the California Coastal Commission, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority, your local, state and federal representatives, and the local news media. Oil tax dollars are not worth the risk of losing our wetlands and our quality of life. #3 Educate yourself and others about the shale oil boom and the true cost of fossil fuel extraction, global warming, and sea rise. #4 Join and support Protect the Long Beach/Los Cerritos Wetlands Coalition and other organizations and tribal nations working to stop the fossil fuel industry from destroying communities, indigenous cultures, and our Mother Earth.

Protect the Long Beach/Los Cerritos Wetlands is a coalition of tribal, environmental, and social justice organizations and concerned citizens saying NO to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration and Oil Consolidation Project Our goal is to stop the extraction of 200 million barrels of oil from beneath the Los Cerritos Wetlands and neighboring communities, putting them at risk. Follow us on Facebook at Protect the Long Beach/Los Cerritos Wetlands or for more info email achris 259@yahoo. com